Sports ramblings…with a Yankees bias!

A Day Filled with Fireworks!…

Welcome back, Marcus Thames!…

Andrew Mills/The Star Ledger

Despite a brief time away (trip to the DL), Marcus Thames made the most of his return to the team with a pinch-hit run-scoring single to drive in the winning run in the Yankees’ 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.Nothing like July 4th and a day at Yankee Stadium to celebrate Thames return with a little pie…

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

The Yankees had taken the early lead in the game, but the continued struggles of Phil Hughes allowed the Jays to go ahead in the top of the 5th.The Yankees tied the score in the bottom of the 6th with a two-run inside-the-park home run by speedy Brett Gardner.

The Yankees took the lead in the bottom of the 7th, but like recent games, the bullpen was not up to the task.However, this time, the game tying run was not scored against Damaso Marte or Joba Chamberlain, but against Mariano Rivera in the 9th. With go-ahead run on third, Alex Gonzalez grounded into a force out to end the threat.The Yankees failed to score in the bottom of the frame, so it was off to extra innings.

Like the inning before, the Blue Jays had their chances in the 10th.With David Robertson starting the inning in relief of Rivera, he allowed the first two hitters to reach base (a single and a walk).The next batter, Edwin Encarnacion grounded into a double play on a bunt attempt, which pushed the go-ahead run to third.Robertson intentionally issued a free pass to Lyle Overbay, who had homered earlier in the game, before getting former Yankee Jose Molina to strike out.

So, it was off to the bottom of the 10th.As usual, Robinson Cano was involved in the action as he walked to lead things off.He was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Francisco Cervelli.Curtis Granderson struck out, but Brett Gardner reached base on a two-out walk.Up to the plate came Marcus Thames, who had just been re-activated from the DL.Thames worked the count full before slashing a hit to center to score Cano with the winning run.Welcome back, Marcus, you’ve been missed!

Uli Seit/The New York Times

It was an exciting day for the Yankees, particularly since the Boston Red Sox were losing to the Baltimore Orioles.It would have been nicer for Hughes and Mo to post more memorable appearances on the day they were selected to the All-Star team, but of course, being an All-Star is not about one game.

When American League manager Joe Girardi takes the field at the All-Star Game in Anaheim on July 13th , he’ll have plenty of familiar faces joining him (and Hughes and Rivera as previously mentioned) as MLB announced the following Yankees had made the All-Star team:

Derek Jeter

Robinson Cano

Alex Rodriguez

CC Sabathia

Phil Hughes

Mariano Rivera

Jeter and Cano are starters, Jeter’s 11th All-Star appearance and Cano’s second.Rodriguez was tabbed as a reserve by Girardi primarily since A-Rod is third in the AL with RBI’s at 62 (behind fellow All-Stars Vladimir Guerrero and Miguel Cabrera).

The Yankees have a chance for a 7th All-Star with Nick Swisher in the running for the Final Vote.Special voting is open until Thursday at 4 pm Eastern.Swish faces steep competition from Kevin Youkilis (Boston), Delmon Young (Minnesota), Michael Young (Texas), and Paul Konerko (Chicago).

Congratulations to all of the AL and NL All-Stars!

Well, alas, it is once again time for the “forced” spotlight on a Boston Red Sox player (thanks to my wager loss to Julia of Julia’s Rants).Before, I embark on yet another painful journey, I do have to say that I am quite amazed at what the Red Sox have been able to do (within striking distance of the AL East lead) with a disabled list that looks like an All-Star team:

I also read today that All-Star Clay Buchholz is most likely headed for the DL.I may not be a fan of the Red Sox but I am not a fan of these injuries.Hopefully, these guys will return to health in the near future.In the meantime, I’m sure the Red Sox will keep knocking on the door.

For the latest installment, I will go with one of the so-called replacement players who has done a good job helping to fill in for the loss of left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (and Mike Cameron when he was out)….

#54 Darnell McDonald

Courtesy of The Boston Herald

I can remember when Darnell and his older brother, Donzell, were highly touted youths with the Orioles and Yankees, respectively.Neither materialized with their respective teams, and I had long forgotten the McDonald brothers when Darnell’s contract was purchased from AAA Pawtucket in April when Ellsbury went to the DL.He had been signed as a minor league free agent in January.Julia was very quick to inform me when McDonald homered in his first at bat with the Red Sox.He has done a capable job since he joined the Red Sox (5 home runs, 20 RBI’s, and .260 batting average).

Darnell played high school baseball with Cherry Creek High School in Denver, Colorado.He was drafted in the first round by the Baltimore Orioles in 1997.He would stay in the minors for the duration of his Orioles career, enjoying only a brief call up in 2003.His stops between Baltimore and Boston included the Minnesota Twins and the Cincinnati Reds.He hit his first major league home run on August 30, 2009 against Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

At 31 years of age, Darnell is enjoying the greatest stretch of his professional career.He showed that he was a wise off-season acquisition by GM Theo Epstein who is notorious for the low cost, high upside approach to free agency.He has believed in the dream since his days as one of the best high school players in the nation, and it is finally happening for him in Boston.

So, whatever happened to brother and former Yankee Donzell?He currently plays for Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League.

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